Major tourism improvement projects move forward in Manatee County
County and city officials from throughout Manatee County will spend funds aimed at attracting tourists with expansions at the Bradenton Area Convention Center and Premier Sports Campus, as well as improvements at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport and a new water taxi system.
The efforts are meant to enhance key tourism centerpieces throughout the community and create a coordinated effort among local stakeholders to make improvements or offer programming and services that encourage travelers to visit points of attraction throughout the county, Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown said during a special meeting Tuesday.
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"We have one chance to get it right, and the time is now," Brown said to the group of stakeholders. "We have people that are working together to make those opportunities... We're not bickering or fighting amongst each other, we may all disagree on little things, but we have to get the whole out there. If we're going to make our urban core from basically south of LECOM to north of Palmetto, which will be all of us, this is the opportunity to do that. We are all going to have to put a little skin in the game."
Bradenton Area Convention Center expansion
Plans to expand the Bradenton Area Convention Center and change its business model are underway, and the effort is meant to improve tourism options in Palmetto along with construction of an adjoining Marriott Hotel.
The effort will add a multipurpose ballroom that could accommodate 900 guests, improve floors and walls in the existing main arena, and connect directly to a 252-room Marriott Hotel under construction next door. Officials will also consider construction of a parking deck on the property.
The Marriott Hotel is slated to open in January 2024 and will feature a rooftop restaurant and lounge, upscale accommodations in guest rooms, a resort-style pool that features an outdoor tiki bar and grill, and an open-concept lobby with restaurant and bar space.
Premiere Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch
A $6.4 million improvement project at the 147-acre Premier Sports Campus to accommodate the needs of youth sports teams that travel from across the country to compete is underway.
Improvements include the addition of a permanent framed tent equipped with a wooden floor and air conditioned bathrooms, multipurpose rooms that can be converted to suit the needs of various sports teams, and the addition of about 400 parking spots.
Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport expansion
The Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport has grown from offering six airlines with 12 nonstop destinations in 2018 to 11 airlines and 56 nonstop destinations, said Executive Vice President Mark Stuckey. He highlighted that two of those destinations are brand new, following the announcement of two new nonstop destinations by Southwest Airlines to Buffalo and Providence in New York.
The airport will undergo a slew of improvements starting next year, including construction of new terminals, an inspection station, a car rental facility, escalators and new concessions.
"We are the fastest growing airport in the United States, by far," Stuckey said.
"We do have $165 million worth of construction projects that are starting next year," he said. "The biggest one is the ground boarding terminal that we're building. This was the cheapest and fastest way to get more gates at our airport... (It) will add five more gates. We already know, in talking with airlines, that the minute is opened, we have one airline in particular that said 'we'll take all five gates and double our fleet at your airport.' So we'll continue to grow."
Manatee creates Gulf Islands Ferry
Ongoing efforts to create a new ferry system that connects tourist hotspots in Bradenton and Palmetto to Anna Maria Island cities with a water taxi service have reached a new milestone.
Officials unveiled an unofficial logo on Tuesday featuring the name Gulf Islands Ferry. Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the county has ordered two 49-passenger ferries. The service is expected to launch a pilot program in DATE that will operate only on weekends.
"The routes that we are initially going to be going with (are) the day dock in Downtown Bradenton to the Anna Maria Pier, down to the Bradenton Beach Pier and then the South Coquina boat ramp. When the hotel is open, we have plans to come north of the river to Palmetto, whether that is Riviera Dunes or Regatta Point."
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Manatee County starts major projects aimed at attracting tourists
